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Louisiana Purchase
The Louisiana Purchase was the expansion of the United States. Thomas Jefferson as the president made the purchase of 15 million dollars from the French to get over 800,000 acres of land west from the Mississippi River. -
Lewis and Clark Expedition
The Lewis and Clark Expedition was a mission sent from president Jefferson. He sent the explorers Lewis and Clark to explore the area west of the Mississippi River. -
Great Migration via Oregon Trail
In 1843, close to 1,000 people joined together to traverse the Oregon Trail via a wagon train, a feat that required going over the treacherous Rocky Mountains. They began in Independence, Missouri and made it all the way to Oregon Country. Their 2,000-mile journey was a success, a fact that surprised many people who did not think the group would be able to safely navigate the long journey. They settled the area and were followed by thousands more over the next few years. -
Texas Statehood
Texas officially became a state in 1845. Congress passed a joint resolution in favor of annexing Texas, which was approved by voters in the then-republic, now state. -
Mormons Settle Utah
The Mormons left their settlement in Illinois and headed west in search of a new homeland. Under the leadership of Brigham Young, they traversed more than 1,300 miles west through the wilderness, crossing the Rocky Mountains and stopping in what is now Utah. Seeking an isolated place to call home, they opted to stop in the Great Salt Lake Valley, which they decided would be their promised land. By the end of the year, around 2,000 Mormons had settled in the area. -
California Gold Rush
Gold was discovered in Northern California, spurring thousands of people to find their way to the west coast in search of riches. The gold rush continued, peaking in 1852 then declining until it ended in 1857. -
California Statehood
California officially became a state in 1850, just two years after being ceded to the United States by Mexico via the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. Unlike other states in the west, California was granted statehood without first having been a territory. -
Oregon Statehood
Eventually politicians from the South agreed to allow Oregon to enter as a free state, in exchange for opening slavery to the southwest United States. Oregon was admitted to the Union on February 14, 1859. -
Homestead Act
With the passing of the Homestead Act of 1862, people were eligible to claim up to 160 acres of land in the west. After residing on the land for five years and making improvements at that time, the land would be given to those who settled it. Many people rushed west to claim their land and establish a homestead. Approximately 500 million acres were assigned to those who made claims under this law -
South Dakota Gold Rush
Colonel George Armstrong Custer led an 1874 expedition on which gold was discovered in the Black Hills of the part of the Dakota Territory that is now South Dakota. Over 10,000 people relocated to the area to quest for gold. -
Dakota Territory Statehood
The Dakota Territory Statehood was the split between the Dakota territory turning North Dakota and South Dakota to become states. -
America Declared to Be Settled
In 1890, reporting on the results of the rapid westward expansion of the United States, the head of the U.S. Census announced that the country's settlement had been completed. Though the westward expansion began with rural farms on the frontier, by 1890, many cities had been established and were quite populated.